The French Girl

By: Lexie Elliott

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan

I Know What You Did Last Summer meets the French countryside in this exhilarating psychological suspense novel about a woman trapped by the bonds of friendship—perfect for fans of The Widow and The Woman in Cabin 10.

One of RealSimple's and Cosmopolitan's Best Books of the Month

Everyone has a secret...

They were six university students from Oxford—friends and sometimes more than friends—spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway...until they met Severine, the girl next door.

But after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate Channing knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can't forgive. And there are some people you can't forget...like Severine, who was never seen again.

A decade later, the case is reopened when Severine's body is found behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she's worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts all around her. Desperate to resolve her unreliable memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the memory of the woman who still haunts her, Kate finds herself entangled within layers of deception with no one to set her free....

Critic reviews

Praise for The French Girl

“You shouldn’t have any trouble picking up Lexie Elliott’s debut novel, The French Girl. It comes with a warning, though, because you will definitely have trouble putting it down.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

“The French Girl commands attention. The author provides the perfect dose of character development before unveiling eerie details from her cast's past, ensuring that we're properly unnerved when their lives begin to unravel.”—Associated Press

“The shifting dynamics within the group will keep the reader guessing until the end. First novelist Elliott has done a phenomenal job of combining a whodunit with a Big Chill vibe.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“A gripping mystery that delves into the past and the darker side of friendships, this book will have you questioning everything you think you know. The French Girl is a fantastic debut about tangled relationships, shifting perceptions, and the memories—and people—that haunt us. I was completely captivated from beginning to end.”—Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Stranger

“Scottish debut novelist Elliott, who holds a doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford, launches a fiction-writing career with a smart, suspenseful thriller.”—Booklist

“A maelstrom of complicated friendships and shifting alliances. This addictive debut will keep you up late into the night!”—Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King's Daughter

Great story!

This kept me interested right from the beginning! There were not a lot of going back in time, very easy to follow!

Great book, with a great ending.

I almost didn't buy this book because of the reviews saying the ending was horrible. The ending is great, no mystery to ponder after you finish the book. Great narrator and compelling plot.

I loved this book!

Don’t pay attention to the negative reviews. This is a wonderful, interesting, exciting and believable thriller.

Really good!

Kept me listening late into the night, and didn’t want it to end. Loved it.

Intriguing

Good book. Thrown by accent at first but enjoyed it. Intriguing if a tiny bit unsatisfying.